Who remembers when...?
Just flicked through the topics on discussion and saw over 200 responses now to How to survive without EHU, we have been caravanning now for 30 years and it makes me chuckle to read, how did we survive? we would go away for two weeks in a field, no orange
cables back then - remember the TP2 carry the battery in it into the garage on arrival back home to charge it up for the next trip. No solar panels (we hadn't even heard of solar power) but then no Alde heating either, put the kettle on - duel purpose, hot
drink and warm the van too 
no hot water heater on board of course - foot pump to get the water to the tap. No onboard loo either,
a tardis tent outside 
Memories
Alison
Comments
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Yes remember it well! First van was a Sprite 400 in 1976. No luxuries, no electricity, no water tap, no nothing really, except a single gas mantle. it was really nothing more than a tin tent.
Then in 1979, we bought our first new caravan. An abbey Durham. It had the luxury of a foot operated water pump and a toilet compartment (but no toilet fitted). Still no mains electricity though! We had young children then & my wife had to cope with nappy buckets etc, that was long before disposable nappies. Thinking back its a wonder that we ever stuck to caravanning, but we couldnt afford anything else I suppose.
TF
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A lot of us old timers have been there and we just got on with things as there was no alternative. The basic vans of way back when are why I now appreciate the luxuries we have on board our modern cvans/MHs.
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Gas mantles and porta potties; but didn't we have wonderful holidays and lots of fun.
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, Hmmm,much like 'boaters' ,you have to be a PRACTICAL breed .There's no manual to learn from ,just experience and ingenuity!!
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My first 20 years or so was done without EHU and much of the time without an additional battery either (just a long lead to the car) and we had holidays in Italy Spain and France that way.
I had two extensions in case the van went in nose first and the car was behind it
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I remember our first caravan in the 80's, had condensation streaming down the windows, as there was no double glazing. Only using gas didn't improve matters in that respect, but kept it warm. And as above, only cold water operated via foot pump.
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I remember when CC rallies were popular with caravanners. . ---- In those days Rally centres used to set up rallies in a suitable field where Centre members used to meet up with friends for the weekend. Caravanners were self sufficient and resourceful
in those days and used all the facilities their caravans. They made their own entertainment, well into the early hours of the norning and consumed a considerable amount of the "Water of Life". Great fun was had by all.Sadly those days are gone and rallyists are seen as a bit of an oddity who have a need for public lavatories, mains electricity and to pitch up beside non-rallyists on CC camping sites.
Gone are the happy carefree days of the true Rallyist. -- There are very few left.
Cheers...................K
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Yes remember those days well. From our tent we looked across at the relative luxury of the primitive caravans. However, whilst really enjoying our camping, I have no desire to go back to those days. It is one of the reasons we bought a van 11 years ago, we wanted to be warm, have a bit more luxury and in particular a proper bed.
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Ahh, happy days
Our first van was a 10ft Sprite 400 too TF, no inside loo but, absolute luxury - the previous owners had fitted
an oven lovely for keeping the van warm too. We had two young kids back then, the eldest in the top bunk which was a proper canvas
bunk too. Kept it for a year, then traded in for a four berth Lunar - still no double glazing but an inside loo and all the cabinets
were REAL wood ! no lightweight laminate in those days.Alison
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I do love my new van but sometimes I hanker for the days when we knew just how long the battery would last and what we could and couldn't do to prolong it. cramming into the awning of an evening with lots of friends round a gas lamp, warmth in numbers and
inner warmth provided too
I miss the happy get togethers - nowadays too many are sat in their vans alone watching tv instead 
Alison
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We were quite young tourers, started with a tiny camper van that was our only car as well. We drove until we ran out of petrol almost, explored until next wage day then moved on again! Poor old camper died, so we went to tenting then, enjoyed that as young,
lithe fitness freaks. We had a big ridge tent, but cooked in back of LR series three, which was done out with seats and extras. Always had a tea party of some sort gathered round back with friends old and new. Then SIL loaned us caravan, that was it hooked!
We bought it off them, basic little Monza, with foot pump, gas mantles and a bathroom with a sink and porta potti. Toured all over, up hill and down dale. We sold that on after OH found a beautiful Cotswold Windrush, with all mod cons (IE electric hook up,
proper bathroom). We still have this, and it is still so comfortable and warm. No damp, lovely to tow. Use it occasionally, but needs some TLC at moment. So easy to use. Happy
days!0 -
Our first van was a 4 berth Cavalier, which we bought new in 1972, before that we borrowed OH's parents' 2 berth Abbey, which had a hob and grill, a gas fridge, a foot pump and a portapotti.
The Cavalier had a 3 way fridge, a little oven, a separate grill, a foot pump, and a pull out toilet compartment with a portapotti and a drop down basin.
The windows were single glazed glass, when the front one got cracked by a flying stone on a road in Sweden in 1977, on our return to UK we bought several new plastic double glazed windows instead.
I fitted it with EHU once sites started having them, so we had a battery with charger to power the battery lights, so we stopped using the gas lights. I also fitted a double socket so we could power a little TV and an electric fan heater.......luxury!
We sold that van in 1983, after many happy holidays, and did not return to caravanning till 1998. We were amazed at how luxurious vans had become by then!
TF......our son was born in 1970 and he had disposable nappies from day one, so they must have been available before then.
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The DCOS has always been a traditionalist so that probably why she stuck with terry towel nappies. She still hankers after them even today whilst caring for the grandkids!
But those who talked about taking the power from the car battery via a hook up were of course quite correct, that was what we did with the Abbey Durham. On reflection, I dont think that it had a battery. No oven either just a 2 or 3 burner hob.
Even though it had a toilet compartment/space we used that for other bits & pieces and used a toilet tent outside brrr!
TF
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Jill, I remember on one holiday with my two teenage kids after I waited until it was dark to carry the porta potti to empty that as I came down the caravan step into the awning, I lost my footing much to the amusement of the kids.Luckily I managed to retain
my balance and more to the point that ofthe potti and lurched trough the awning to the outside with loud roars of laughter. Next time I let them do it in revenge... Good times.....lesson for the day was never let it get full!!!!!!0 -
I remember when CC rallies were popular with caravanners. . ---- In those days Rally centres used to set up rallies in a suitable field where Centre members used to meet up with friends for the weekend. Caravanners were self sufficient and resourceful
in those days and used all the facilities their caravans. They made their own entertainment, well into the early hours of the norning and consumed a considerable amount of the "Water of Life". Great fun was had by all.Sadly those days are gone and rallyists are seen as a bit of an oddity who have a need for public lavatories, mains electricity and to pitch up beside non-rallyists on CC camping sites.
Gone are the happy carefree days of the true Rallyist. -- There are very few left.
Cheers...................K
there are still 70 centres in the Club K, so hardly very few left, just not so visible to the members who only use CLs and Club Sites, it's a whole other world out there on a rally field (and still much more sociable)
Alison
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I remember when CC rallies were popular with caravanners. . ---- In those days Rally centres used to set up rallies in a suitable field where Centre members used to meet up with friends for the weekend. Caravanners were self sufficient and resourceful
in those days and used all the facilities their caravans. They made their own entertainment, well into the early hours of the norning and consumed a considerable amount of the "Water of Life". Great fun was had by all.Sadly those days are gone and rallyists are seen as a bit of an oddity who have a need for public lavatories, mains electricity and to pitch up beside non-rallyists on CC camping sites.
Gone are the happy carefree days of the true Rallyist. -- There are very few left.
Cheers...................K
there are still 70 centres in the Club K, so hardly very few left, just not so visible to the members who only use CLs and Club Sites, it's a whole other world out there on a rally field (and still much more sociable)
Alison
...If you are in with the "in crowd" of the centre
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I remember our first caravan in the 80's, had condensation streaming down the windows, as there was no double glazing. Only using gas didn't improve matters in that respect, but kept it warm. And as above, only cold water operated via foot pump.
I solved the condensation on the glass picure window on our first caravan by using sheet of about 3mm plastic and fixing as a seconadary glazing. 4 Screws to remove
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I used to plug in to the car which was OK until I went to Holland and had to park the car away from the van, resulting in no lighting. Fotunately it was high summer so it was light until fairly late.
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Ahh, happy days
Our first van was a 10ft Sprite 400 too TF, no inside loo but, absolute luxury - the previous owners had fitted
an oven lovely for keeping the van warm too. We had two young kids back then, the eldest in the top bunk which was a proper canvas
bunk too. Kept it for a year, then traded in for a four berth Lunar - still no double glazing but an inside loo and all the cabinets
were REAL wood ! no lightweight laminate in those days.Alison
Write your comments here...Bought our first van in 1970 same as Alison a 10ft Sprite 400 no loo, no oven (but we fitted later and a gas fire) Oh gas mantles breaking up all the while Porta Potti ina the Tent outside. But we had so much fun. Second van,
lwithin a year like Alisin was a Luna first introduced in 1970 a Venus 4 berth still gas lamps but gas fire fitted and a Toilet compartement with Porta Potti. OH fitted an oven within weeks and we had a good few years of happy caravanning in her before upgrading.DianneT
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Started with a CI Sprite in the early 60s with the usual gas mantle and foot button pump, although it did have a couple of 12 volt lights.
Luckily we lived in Germany throughout the 60s and 70s so soon changed it for a much more civilised Dutch Kip caravan.
Double glazing, mains electric and good insulation made it a 12 month caravan and we used to site it for the winter seasons. Oddly it didn't have a 'fridge so I installed a normal domestic model. All the mainland European campsites had adequate mains hook
ups.It did many miles in many countries and was still 'modern', compared to UK 'vans, when we sold it in the UK in 79.
One day I will obtain my Professorship or a Doctorate and be able to post a picture of the Kip
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Our first van was an Eccles Topaz, vinyl roof, no fridge, 2 gas rings, foot pump and a gas mantle. We had 2 small children one still in nappies, we had the van for many years and OH installed 12v and mains electrics. Could I manage today, of course do I
want to, no thanks I like my comfort these days. I've never done the camping in a field thing, we've always used sites of some discription.0 -
Ours was lovely and solid and certainly not light.
For 4 years I used to take my dad for 8 nights each year. First two years in his 'van, Last two years in our caravan - just the two of us and his Alsatian. He still towed for the first couple of years with a Mardon. I remember staying on the CC site at Meathop
Fell near Grange over Sands. WE used his front wheel drive car and I left my rear wheel drive for my wife to use. I can remember that when we arrived the grass was very wet and I thought that with a very slight slope that the car wheels might loose traction
on the grass as it was quite wet. I asked the warden if he would prefer to site with his tractor. Nae bother, don't need the tractor. Two stout fellas from warden staff, a neighbour abd me. After 30 seconds ............ I'll get the tractor
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